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Saturday, 2 December 2017
Saturday, 15 April 2017
Karma, An Insight
Karma is among the most widely recognized Eastern mystical concepts to have entered Western thought. At its simplest, Karma refers to the law of cause and effect: when one performs a particular action, a corresponding consequence follows. Yet, beyond this mechanical understanding, Karma is deeply concerned with experience, learning, and the fulfillment of one’s purpose across life and lifetimes.
Karma is not a system of punishment. The notion that human beings are punished for sins is, arguably, a socially constructed mechanism of control rather than a spiritual truth. At the level of Spirit, there is no absolute categorization of right and wrong, good or bad. Who, indeed, possesses the authority to define these absolutes? The great Tamil poet Subramania Bharati expressed this beautifully: “Nalladu teeyadu naamariyom annai; nalladai naatuga, teeyadai oottuga”—we do not truly know what is good or bad; therefore, guide me toward what is beneficial and away from what is harmful. What appears good to one may be detrimental to another. Non-violence (Ahimsa) may be a noble virtue, but if a lion were to practice it, how would it survive? Without a universal and objective scale of measurement, humanity cannot definitively judge good and bad.
The first step in engaging with Karma is awareness and acknowledgment. Are there patterns or themes that repeatedly surface throughout one’s life? Nothing occurs by accident. Repetition points toward the presence of Karma. Once an individual recognizes the karmic themes of an incarnation, it becomes possible to work with them—much like swimming with the current rather than struggling against it. If one finds it difficult to earn or retain money, the corrective response lies in cultivating sound financial discipline. If another struggles to form friendships, the remedy may be to practice greater kindness and openness toward others.
Understanding how to work with Karma requires spiritual insight and guidance. The word Karma originates from the Sanskrit root “Kri,” meaning “to do” or “to act.” Karma is a wisdom-based concept that explains a system in which beneficial experiences arise from beneficial actions, and harmful experiences from harmful actions, forming an ongoing cycle of action and reaction across reincarnated lives. When we speak of “our Karma,” we refer to the actions we have sown—whether in this life or in previous ones—that shape what we reap in our present circumstances. Every action—physical, emotional, or mental—and every movement, whether on the gross physical plane (Sthoolam) or the subtle astral plane (Sookshma), generates energy. This energy becomes a seed. Like any seed, Karma does not always fructify immediately after it is sown.
The Vedas articulate this principle clearly: “A person is made of desires. As is his desire, so is his will. As is his will, so is his action; and whatever action he performs, that he will reap.” Karma must not be confused with destiny. Fate implies a life preprogrammed by an external force, leaving no room for individual agency. One may then question: if life itself is preprogrammed, are not actions also predetermined, and how can Karma operate at all? The truth is that Karma is correctable. Human beings are conscious entities capable of recognizing their Karma and consciously altering the trajectory of their lives with the assistance of higher forces. Karma provides the circumstances and opportunities for action; the capability to act, however, rests with the individual. For example, acquiring a good life partner may be the result of Karma, but sustaining, nurturing, and honoring that relationship depends entirely on personal effort. Karma does not intervene there.
Karma is traditionally classified into four types: Sanchita Karma, Praarabdha Karma, Kriyamana Karma, and Aagami Karma.
Sanchita Karma (Accumulated Karma or Sum Total of Actions) represents the reservoir of unresolved actions accumulated over countless previous births. This is one’s total cosmic balance sheet. Every moment, through thought and action, one either adds to or reduces this store. Until Sanchita Karma is fully exhausted, the soul continues to incarnate in new physical bodies to work through the remaining balance. It may be likened to arrows stored in a quiver—either depleted through experience or increased through fresh accumulation.
Praarabdha Karma (Fructifying Karma or Actions Already Set in Motion) is that portion of Sanchita Karma that has ripened and is allotted for experience in the current lifetime. It forms the karmic blueprint one is meant to engage with in this incarnation. When one consciously works through these allotted debts, deeper layers of past Karma surface for resolution, thereby dissolving corresponding portions of Sanchita Karma. This form of Karma may be compared to arrows already released and in flight.
Kriyamana Karma (Current or Instant Karma) is the Karma generated in the present lifetime through free will and conscious choice. It refers to actions currently within one’s control. These actions significantly shape future Karma. Some of these karmic results manifest immediately—for instance, violating a traffic rule, being caught, and paying a fine. This resembles an arrow held in one’s hand, ready to be released. Kriyamana Karma is further divided into two subcategories: Arabdha Karma, which has begun to sprout and take effect, and Anarabdha Karma, which remains dormant as seed Karma. While certain Kriyamana actions bear fruit in the present life, others are stored for future incarnations.
Aagami Karma (Future Karma) refers to the karmic trajectory formed by the merits and demerits of present actions. This Karma is generated in the current birth and later added to the store of Sanchita Karma. When debts are not resolved, additional karmic seeds accumulate, necessitating further lifetimes for their exhaustion.
Some equate Karma with luck, but this is a misunderstanding. Karma is not luck. Whether luck itself truly exists or is merely a construct of perception remains debatable. Luck is often described as Adrisht—that which is unseen or invisible—an unseen force believed to guide outcomes. Yet, repeatedly purchasing lottery tickets without success should prompt reconsideration, not blame toward luck. Continuing such behavior is a choice; attributing the outcome to “bad luck” is merely an illusion of the mind.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Does it make a difference?
Monday, 14 May 2012
Issue out of no issue
- This cartoon was made even when Ambedkar was alive and he never protested it
- This cartoon was in the NCERT books since six years and an insult to Ambedkar happening suddenly is a question of surprise
- Everyone in the public service is subject to bouquets and bricks – one cannot be selective
- There is something called Freedom of Expression The protests by the MPs reflect these:
- The tolerance levels of those in the Public Service is going down and they cannot digest any views expressed against them – this is a unhealthy sign (even yesterday the speech of Laloo in the House against Anna and Baba Ramdev is a part of such intolerance)
- If these men made the history of our country (they are not creating it – please read it carefully), obviously there will be no truth or the percentage of truth in the history will be very less
- These gentlemen who fight for a man who made the Constitution are unaware that in the same Constitution there is an Article 19 that gives every citizen a freedom of expression
- They are unaware that it’s not Ambedkar alone who prepared this Constitution but a panel of eminent lawyers and Ambedkar was the political face of the panel who chaired it
- We, Indians, totally lack the sense of humor
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Why this Hue and Cry - Do we really need this?
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
http://ngkjrs69.sulekha.com/blog/post/2012/03/imaginary-line-of-poverty.htm
Not long ago, the Planning commission of India cut a serious joke by creating a new Poverty line at Rs 32/- per day and drew flak from all corners of the country. The commission was busy quibbling about the details of defining the poverty line. They came out with a new figure of Rs 28/- yesterday. With Bangladesh spoiling the dreams of India’s Asia Cup win, this story did not hog the limelight yesterday.
I am not an economist as our honourable PM is, who is supposed to be an expert in this field but did little with his expertise to improve the situation in our country. As a layman, i am perplexed at the manner in which this poverty line is defined. Do these statistics really measure the right factors and if it measured, is it being done accurately? With these measures, what are we trying to do? Don’t these measures indicate only the buying power of a household?
As I understand, this is the measure to indicate the Government on providing the subsidies to the really needed. However, by keeping this number low (obviously an imaginary number or a fake number), are we trying to prove the world that there are no poor people in India? Yet, the subsidies are not stopped. There are confusions in the manner these are calculated. Imagine a family with an income of Rs 4800/- per month and another with Rs 5000/-. Who is poor? Going by numbers obviously the first family is. However, imagine the expenses of the first family is less (considering the fact that they stay close to their workplace whereas the second family travels a longer distance thus paying more on transportation), who is poor here? Hence individual comparison is not ethical.
The calculation of these numbers was developed in the 70s. They decided the line according to average consumption expenses of households where per capita consumption of 2400 calories in cities and 2100 calories in villages. I am still confused why the calories intake in urban has to be more than the rural area. Since then, this line has been updated using consumer prices indices only.
Various committees have come out with different figures of poverty line by measuring it in variety of methods. The official line delivers a poverty rate of around 32% of the population. The Suresh Tendulkar committee estimated it at 37% (based on calories consumption), while another led by NC Saxena said 50% (based on nutrition values), and in 2007 the Arjun Sengupta commission identified 77% of Indians as "poor and vulnerable". The World Bank's PPP (Purchasing power parity) estimate of Indian poverty was higher than 40% in 2005, while the Asian Development Bank arrived at almost 50%. The UNDP's Multidimensional Poverty Index finds the proportion of the poor to be higher than 55%.
Congratulations to you if you had not still fainted after going through the figures. Is it not the time to separate the people’s real needs from the arbitrary assessments of poverty which have guided our Government so long? With the changing lifestyle, i am sure the calorie consumption too would have gone for a toss by now. Under such circumstances, what can these numbers have something to do with the calorie consumption?
This figure is a bone of contention to the State Governments too. The categories of BPL (Below poverty line) and APL (Above) were made to discriminate supply of cheaper grain (subsidized) through PDS. With federal system in practice, the responsibility of delivery of such services and goods to BPL lies with State Govts whereas Central Govt only allocates resources. Although the BPL is decided by the sample survey, the number of households (in reality) in BPL is far high from this imaginary figure.
Should we not include the shelter, clothing (power of buying here?), jobs, primary health care, basic amenities like availability of drinking water, toilet, electricity etc.,? A recent survey showed that 40% of 2011 batch MBAs are jobless as they could not find one. Where are projects to provide employment? Every year, a team of 9 million freshers seek employment. What are the plans to deal with such a situation?
How about the growing disparity between the rich and poor? The rich is becoming richer and the poor stays there. The volume of middle class families in India is increasing in multiple folds from year to year. Corporate Social Responsibility is one factor that has no mention among Indian entrepreneurs but for a few. Unless the corporate come out and give it back to the society, things will not improve.
Intentionally, i am avoiding the issue of corruption here as it is known to everyone that this has a major role to play, however, we are indifferent towards corruption as we have accepted this as a walk of life. Let the academic debate continue on the definition of poverty line. However, it should not be cooked to show a perception that the volume of poor population is getting shrunk. This is nothing short of cheating the public. The expertise of our super economist PM should not be wasted in cooking up figures but to be put in use as to give this country some constructive solutions!
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Tag Game - self appraisal of my blogs
http://ngkjrs69.sulekha.com/blog/post/2011/12/tagged-by-balu-self-appraisal-of-my-blogs-an-advertisement.htm
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Am I right or Wrong?
My cynical views on the recent episodes of Fasting and Arresting of Anna Hazare!
http://ngkjrs69.sulekha.com/blog/post/2011/08/am-i-right-or-wrong.htm
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Saturday, 2 July 2011
It happens only in India!
The definition of murder is lost from the recent judgment on the Maria-Jerome-Grover case. Let us accept that the murder was done on a rush of blood, fit of rage etc., I am surprised that if Grover was killed because Jerome saw him in half-naked status, what was his girl friend doing? If they were not involved why should he kill? They killed and later chopped the body into pieces. Was it not a cold-blooded murder? But the judge differed stating this is nothing but culpable homicide not leading to murder. Shocking!
In a rush of blood, he killed but later realized. Then in all fairness, both should have got themselves surrendered in a police station. Instead, they decided to chop the body into 300 odd pieces, with all ease, packed the parts into a bag and tried to dump and fire it on a secluded area! Yet, the judge states that this a destruction of evidence? Perplexing!
Maria had already spent 3 years in jail and hence will be free from today and walk back home. Ironical! She did not stay in prison as a punishment. All along she was in and out of the prison. A punishment is given so that the culprit realizes his mistake and gets a chance to correct them. Here, it is thoroughly opposite!
Perhaps, the sections in which the cases are fought would have led to this sort of judgment. Still, I don’t understand that how can, for a single murder, charges can be different for both accused involved? Similarly, in the past, the definition of Rape was lost with so many cases on rape confused us the people. Am I wrong if I said, Crazy is justice!
The selectors are gathering today for selection of India team for England. They say history repeats and it is proven that all the 3 Tamil Nadu players (Mukund, Vijay and Badri) who got an opportunity to display their talent failed thoroughly. Pathetic is the last word one can say about their performance.
I don’t know why the selectors have forgotten Cheteshwar Pujara because he did not play in T20 leagues? He is another Dravid in the making and he is unfit for T20 sort of games. If at all, we need a stabilized middle order after Sachin-Rahul-Laxman, it cannot be formed without Cheteshwar Pujara. Virat is too immature and so is Yuvraj and Raina. Its high team the selectors picked Pujara as I am sure that Suresh, Virat and Yuvraj cannot play in the swinging conditions of England. Dhoni, repeatedly, is making the mistake of sidelining Amit Mishra. Personal favors cannot be as implicit as Dhoni does now. He reminds me the days of Umrigar where Marattas was favored in the Indian cricket team. This is not a good sign but Dhoni is the chocolate boy of Indian cricket and cricket in India brings more money. So telling ill of Dhoni is a sin.
Indian sport had another low in the doping episode. We can’t blame the athletes entirely but the officials, coaches who are supposed to ensure that they are free from such hassles that they concentrated only on their sports. Alas! We can’t expect this to happen in India. If Indian sportsmen win some accolades it is not because of coaches, administrations or sports organizations but despite them.
Manmohan Singh is the weakest ever Prime Minister (worse than Deve Gowda and Gujral) cries the Opposition party. They should be thankful to the UPA for such a weaker PM. Similarly, the UPA should thank the Opposition that despite having such a weak PM, scam-filled-days, failures all over in the Govt, the Opposition is not strong enough to topple the Government and seek a fresh mandate. The lack of alternative is keeping the Government intact and the Congress feels by then, Rahul baba will be ready and the people will forget all these ill-fated days.
The Civil-society has usurped the position of Opposition but the Congress is not willing to give it the full credit. They blame it on RSS (as they keep doing it for years) and give undue credit to the Opposition. In the melee, likes of Anna Hazare demands authority without responsibility. Its only the congress that cries foul on Lokpal. None of its allies is opening their mouth. Same is the case with Opposition. They have not said whether they support it or they don’t. They have not come out with their version of Lokpal yet.
Meanwhile, the speaker categorically rejected the PAC report. Why should we have one if we are going to have such comedy episodes? Why are we wasting money when the inflation is rocketing high? The PM had initiated the press conference again (to woo the media and requesting them to write in favor of him) and none is sure in what way this will help the common man. He has not yet come out with a clear reply with regard to Inflation. In fact, his press conference raised more questions than he answered.
Nero played fiddle when Rome burnt but here the Super PM goes on holiday in Switzerland (to wind up their bank accounts extending favor in form of purchase of aircraft from Swiss Govt) and other is a dumb duck who is waiting for signals from the holidaying PM. God save India.
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